


Comfort

by redsnake05



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-23
Updated: 2010-04-23
Packaged: 2017-10-09 02:51:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/82232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redsnake05/pseuds/redsnake05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amita isn't quite satisfied with her life. David is a little conflicted about the way he thinks he could make it better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Comfort

The soft footsteps and shy "Hello" beside David's desk were a welcome distraction from his paperwork. He looked up to find Amita standing there, clutching her bag and nervously playing with its strap. He dropped his pen and jumped to his feet.

"Amita! Hi! Where's Charlie?"

"Oh, I was in town to pick up a few things and just thought I'd stop by." Her voice was as nervous as her hands, and David was surprised.

"It's great to see you. You, ah, want a coffee?"

"You're not too busy?"

"My paperwork can always wait. I'm stuck doing Colby's as well, since he got sent on some course."

"That doesn't seem fair," agreed Amita.

"Break room?" asked David. "Or there's a new café, just down the street." He kicked himself – make it sound like a date and scare the woman off. Way to go, Sinclair. "Or Don and Megan are around somewhere."

Amita cut him off. "No, the café sounds great. Let's go."

David checked he had his wallet, badge and gun. Amita laughed suddenly and David looked at her enquiringly. "Now I understand how weirded out Larry used to be, every time he saw Megan getting ready to go somewhere." She gestured to his jacket. "It takes a bit of getting used to."

"Yeah, I guess it does," David agreed. "But I gotta say, Megan took a while to get used to him scribbling those equation thingies on a napkin when he calculates the tip."

"I don't do that."

"Good, cause I don't think I could ever get used to that." David's eyes met Amita's and he blushed faintly. She looked down at her bag, embarrassed, and also blushed.

"Well, uh, I'm sure I have many, equally objectionable habits." She smiled. "Now, how about that coffee?"

They walked outside. Sliding on his glasses, David glanced down at Amita. She was twisting her bag strap nervously again. "So, what did you have to buy?"

"I'm off to a conference, and I need a new dress."

"That's all?" teased David.

"Maybe some new shoes, too."

"And you get to take off work in the middle of the day for that?"

"Shoes are very important," she said. "Charlie once told me –" She stopped abruptly and David glanced down at her, concerned. Her face had darkened and her hands had tightened on the strap on her bag.

"What did he tell you?" asked David, trying to recapture the light atmosphere of a few minutes ago.

"Oh, some story about Don and how he would take hours to choose the perfect pair of shoes."

"Oh, it's true. We're all bad. We have to combine that shiny, federal agent gleam with something that we can run and climb in."

"Shiny federal agent gleam?"

"It's in the contract." David pushed open the door and ushered her to a table at the window. They ordered. Turning his attention back to Amita, David noticed the shadows under her eyes and wondered what was bothering her. She looked at him and smiled, and he wondered if he'd been imagining things. She looked delightful. She was gorgeous. She was clever and funny and he'd better shut down that line of thinking right there. He felt vaguely disloyal to Charlie: here he was, sitting in a café, thinking improper thoughts about his girlfriend.

"Oh, look at this," said Amita, pushing part of the newspaper she'd been flicking through over the table.

"You're interested in dance?"

"Did you think I only played computer games?" teased Amita. "I love dance. I've read reviews of this company, but I've never seen them."

"The only dance I know about was when breakdance was big back in my neighbourhood."

"Can you moonwalk?"

"Can I moonwalk?" scoffed David. Their order arrived and David picked up his coffee. "Actually, I can't moonwalk at all." Amita laughed and David's heart lightened just looking at her. "Are you going to go see this performance?"

"Maybe," Amita answered. "I'd love to go with someone, but…" her voice trailed off and she lowered her eyes to the table, playing with the handle of her cup in the same nervous gesture he'd noticed before with her bag.

David put his cup down and leant forward. "Amita, is something wrong?"

Amita looked up, eyes suddenly shiny with tears. "Why do you ask that?"

"Coming alone to the office, no Charlie in sight, tears – being observant is also in the FBI contract."

"No, it's silly," protested Amita.

"If it's upsetting you, it's not silly." He watched Amita a moment longer. "Come on, Amita. I won't repeat anything. And you were pretty understanding the time I dumped on you guys all about Colby."

"It's just – it seems so silly now."

Waiting patiently, David sipped at his coffee and watched her face. She picked up her own cup and took a sip, and David was shocked to see her hand shake slightly.

"Well, you know how you were surprised to see me without Charlie? Well, that's what everyone seems to think. That we should be together all the time. But, you know, unless I have a sexy equation to offer, I may as well not exist. Charlie only sees me when I'm helpful. "

David was outraged. How could Charlie ignore this woman? "Amita," he started

"I know, I know," she said, "I'm reading too much into it."

"No, Amita, listen to me." David rested one hand lightly on hers, trying to ignore the gentle tingle that seemed to spread through his skin at the contact. "If Charlie's ignoring you, then the man's a fool."

"You think so?"

"I know so," David said firmly. "No man with any kind of brain – at least, one that's not tied up in mathematical knots – would ever take you for granted."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. If you were mine-" he stopped, embarrassed. His heart was racing and he pulled his hand away from hers. Just because she and Charlie were having problems didn't mean that he could make a move on her. Not that he thought she'd be interested. She was way out of his league. He glanced up to find Amita smiling at him, a tender curve to her lips.

"Thank you," she said. She let the silence linger for a moment or two, then sipped her coffee. "This is great coffee. How did you manage to find this place?"

"It was Megan. The woman has the keenest nose for coffee and an instinct for the best carrot cake."

"Is that why the cake looks so good?"

They laughed and joked and David forgot his awkwardness as they talked about everything and anything. She waved goodbye from outside the office and climbed into a bus. Whistling cheerfully, David headed inside.

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

David smiled and breezed through his stack of paperwork, earning suspicious looks from Megan, who was wading through her own stack with considerably more sighs and less zing. His phone beeped and he glanced down at the caller. Amita. His mind went blank, but he answered anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hi, David. Um, I hope you don't think it's rude of me to call, but I was thinking. That dress I bought? It would be great for going to see a dance performance too. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come with me?"

David could hear the little tremors of nervousness in her voice, though she was trying hard to sound cheerful and careless. He wasn't sure what a man was supposed to do in a situation like this. When a girl that you know has a boyfriend, a boyfriend you like and respect, asks you out on a date, what do you do? Well, you can't turn the girl down, but you can't do the dirty on the boyfriend, can you?

"Forget about it," he heard Amita's voice saying. "It was a stupid idea anyway."

"No, no, don't hang up. I was just wondering if I have any shoes that aren't federal agent shiny and practical in my wardrobe, or whether I'm going to have to go shopping."

Amita's laugh sounded warm and intimate down the phone and David smiled. "Great. That's really, really great."

David could hear the relief in her voice, and he felt a stirring of protectiveness. What the hell had Charlie been doing to this woman, to make her so unsure? "Well, should I – I mean, when is it?"

"How about I send an email?" she asked.

"That would be great," he said. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too," she answered shyly. Waiting till he heard the disconnected tone, David folded his phone up and slipped it back into his pocket.

"That's an awfully satisfied smile, Agent Sinclair," drawled Megan from her seat across the aisle.

"Just a friend," said David quickly. "Man, will you look at all this paperwork?"

"You're blushing over 'just a friend'?"

"Megan!" He looked over at her, taking in her laughing eyes. He sighed. "Actually, I could use your advice."

"Oh, goody. Dating advice?"

"Yeah, and some other things."

"We'd better head to the break room."

David agreed, letting her lead the way. The last thing he wanted was for Don to find out. That would be a disaster. Even if David was just going as a friend. With no dishonourable intentions at all.

She carefully closed the door to the break room behind them and sank into a chair. "Spill."

"Well, it's a bit complicated."

"David, are you actually running your finger round your collar? I thought that only happened in books."

David snatched his finger away from his neck and glared at Megan. "Look, Megan, a woman, a friend of mine, she came to see me. She's upset, because her boyfriend's been ignoring her, and so we went out for coffee. I did my best to cheer her up. Then she called and asked me out."

"You said yes."

"How could I say no?! You didn't hear her. She's really upset."

Megan nodded. "And, what? You want to know what I think of you taking Amita out, given that Charlie's been ignoring her again?" David's jaw dropped as Megan laughed. "I saw her name on the visitor's register, you weren't at your desk, and she was no where to be found. I am an investigator."

"Megan, you can't tell anyone, do you promise?"

"I won't tell anyone."

"Not even Larry?"

"Not even Larry. Though it would come as no surprise to him. We had dinner with them a week ago, and it was obvious that Charlie can't see past the end of his nose and that Amita is unhappy. She told me so, too, so you don't even have to feel bad about betraying her confidence."

"Oh, man. This is so bad. What am I going to do?"

"Take her out, treat her nicely, and thank your lucky stars when she dumps Charlie and decides that a charming federal agent is just what she needs."

"But Charlie! I can't go behind his back!"

"You wouldn't have a chance to, if he wasn't being an ass." David fell silent, resting his head in his hands. Megan slung an arm around his shoulders. "David, don't beat yourself up over this. Go to whatever it is, have a good time, let whatever happens, happen."

"How can you be so calm over this?"

Megan laughed and tightened her arm around his shoulders. "Easily. And now I'll give you some good advice about dating a scientist and how to divert them when they get incomprehensible."

"Amita says she doesn't write those equation thingies on napkins."

"Good, that's one less problem, but there are a few more to watch out for."

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

David waited nervously outside his apartment building. He'd never had a woman pick him up before, but he quite liked this. It helped him remember that this wasn't a date. As far as he knew, Amita still had a boyfriend, and, whatever secret thoughts he might harbour about her, his intentions for tonight were strictly honourable.

Her car pulled up and David loped over and let himself into the passenger's seat. He took in her appearance in her new red dress and mentally cursed himself for his resolution to have honourable intentions. She was a dream, with her black hair floating down her back and her dark eyes smiling at him. He swallowed hard and shored up his defences.

"Let me see the shoes," she demanded, mouth curved into a wicked smile. He smiled back and hoisted one leg up to display his foot. Amita took in his appearance from head to toe and smiled. "I love the blazer and white trousers look. Very debonair."

David blushed and put his foot back on the floor. "I wasn't quite sure what to wear to a dance performance."

"You got it perfectly right," Amita said, eyes raking him one more time before focusing back on the road. David tried to compose himself against the warm appraisal in her eyes and reminded himself sternly that they were just friends. Allowing his mind to wander as Amita navigated through the crowded streets, David fell into a fantasy of what this might be like if it was a real date. How he could hold Amita's arm through the streets, feel that beautiful skin under his fingertips. He dimly became aware that Amita was talking. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and focused on her voice.

"You were completely off in your own world," remarked Amita, amused.

"Sorry, I was wool gathering. I was wondering if we were going to see any moves familiar from my misspent youth."

"Maybe," Amita laughed. "It's a contemporary performance, so anything could happen in it."

"No audience participation?" asked David, in tones of dread.

"I don't think so. At least, it's not mentioned in the advertising."

"Well, that's a relief."

"Isn't it just?" agreed Amita. "Actually, David, I was trying to get your attention to say thank you for coming with me tonight."

"You're welcome."

Amita pulled into a parking building and found a space. Unbuckling her seatbelt, Amita turned to David. "David, I need to tell you something before we get out. After you've heard me, I can take you home if you want."

David took in Amita's serious face and braced himself. "Okay. I'm all ears."

"Well, I asked someone else to come with me before I asked you. Charlie." She grimaced. "I expect you guessed that bit. He said no, he wasn't interested in dance. So I went to the conference and I did a lot of thinking. I broke up with him when I got back."

"So…" started David. Amita reached out and placed her hand on top of his.

"So, I want this to be a date."

"A date?"

"Yes, a date." Amita looked suddenly uncertain. "That is, if you-"

David put a finger of his free hand over her lips and smiled. "Oh, yes, I want it to be a date. Very much so."

Amita smiled, then parted her lips and gently sucked his finger into her mouth. David's breath caught. She smiled mischievously. David pulled his finger away and slipped it around her neck instead. He leaned forward and their lips met. Amita's lips opened under his, sweetly and gently.

Breathing heavily, Amita pulled back. David's eyes fluttered open. Amita looked amazing, eyes shining and lips slightly swollen from their kiss. Smiling impishly at him, she asked, "What were you going to say? That day in the café? If I was yours?"

David groaned. "Do you really want to know?"

"Definitely."

"If you were mine," David picked up her hand and kissed each fingertip, "I'd treat you like the sex goddess you are."

"Well," said Amita, "let's go to this dance performance, and then you can show me how a sex goddess gets treated."

David let himself out of the car quickly. He waited until Amita was out and had locked it before pressing her up against the driver's door and kissing her thoroughly. "I'm looking forward to it."


End file.
